ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Disney College Program for Disney World and Disneyland will remain suspended “until further notice” due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Disney announced Thursday.

“We understand this is not the news you were hoping to hear and we want to assure you this decision was not made lightly, Disney said in a letter to program participants. The letter was also posted on the Disney Programs Twitter account.

“We are committed to our Disney Programs and plan to resume in the future when the time is right.”

Disney also said the housing complexes where participants stay during their program would remain closed.

The program allows college students to work at Disney's parks and, in some cases, earn college credit. Those who were scheduled to arrive for the fall edition, which would have run from August to January, will have their program fees refunded, Disney said. They are encouraged to look out for future opportunities once the program resumes.

In March, at the start of the pandemic, Disney ended the spring version of its Disney College Program early, sending participants and cultural representatives home as a safety precaution.

The decision to keep the program suspended comes as Disney World prepares to reopen its theme parks. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are set open on July 11 followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15. The parks will have several health and safety measures in place, including reduced capacity, face mask requirements, temperature checks and social-distancing protocols.

Meanwhile, Disneyland Resort in California has delayed the reopening of its theme parks as it awaits approval from government officials.